Switzerland

An Introduction to Switzerland

Switzerland is a small land-locked country in Central Europe bordering Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, Italy to the south and France to the west. The geography of Switzerland is characterised by three distinct types of landscape - the Swiss Alps to the south of the country, the hilly Swiss Mittelland or “middleland”, which forms a central plateau and extends from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva, and the Swiss Jura, a long line of rugged fold mountains running along the north and north west of the country.

With evidence of farming settlements from 5300 BC, Switzerland has been inhabited by various tribal and cultural communities for thousands of years. The area was conquered by Julius Caesar for the Roman Empire in 58BC, followed by various influences under the Kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy, the Franks, and the Holy Roman Empire. In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia saw Switzerland recognised as an independent and neutral country. In 1798 Napolean’s conquering armies took control of Switzerland briefly. However in 1815, Swiss independence was formally reinstated by the Congress of Vienna and the major European countries agreed to recognise Swiss neutrality from this time onwards. The Swiss established and refined their Federal system and constitution whilst remaining neutral in both World Wars.

Modern Switzerland is a thriving nation and is understandably regarded as one of the top year- round tourist destinations in the world. As the birthplace of recreational skiing, Switzerland is famous for resorts such as St Moritz. The impressive mountains and the picturesque alpine valleys, bursting with wild flowers in the springtime, are just some of the breathtaking natural features that draw tourists and leave them with memories and snapshots of pristine scenery that is unsurpassed in the world.